I am on summer break right now, and I am worried about losing some of the strength that I gained last year. Do you know of anything I can do during my time off to maintain my leg, back, core and arm strength? Is swimming good for strength training? Being on summer break is a […]
What is the key to getting higher extensions to the front and side? I’ve gotten many suggestions to use my psoas, but during all of the exercises I’ve done to try to strengthen them, I always end up using my hip flexor. —Hadley Hi Hadley, What a great question and one that many dancers are […]
In her work as director of physical therapy for New York City Ballet, Marika Molnar relies on tools like bands, balls and Pilates equipment to rehabilitate and strengthen dancers. She says there’s a place for such tools in daily dance classes, as well. Resistance and stability tools can help students develop strength and even break […]
I recently watched your YouTube video on exercises for the intrinsic muscles of the feet. I have a question about the doming exercise. When doing the movement, I find it impossible to keep my toes long. The same is true for when I point my feet. I have a hard time lengthening my toes, and […]
The pressure for female dancers to be slim and feather-light is often at odds with their need to be strong. This contradiction is especially misleading in partnering. “Sometimes, a woman who has more muscle mass may weigh more but is actually easier to lift because she’s stronger,” says Matt Kent, associate artistic director of Pilobolus. […]
I have a tall student who complains of pain in her middle back—at the bra strap area. She feels pain when sitting at school and if we are doing any sort of jump with the leg in arabesque. She has seen a doctor who suggested taking heavy pain meds when she feels uncomfortable. Can you […]
I dislocated my right kneecap, and it popped right back into place while I was doing a lunge stretch at the barre. When I went down, my right kneecap went out and then somehow ended up back in line. Also, when I turn, sometimes I feel a little weirdness in my knee. Is it possible […]
Spinal alignment is like turnout, says Michael Kelly Bruce, associate professor of dance at The Ohio State University. “It’s a mechanism, not an aesthetic.” But as with turnout, dancers’ visual goals often lead them to force their bodies into unnatural positions. “A healthier spine has to do with acknowledging the structural integrity of what’s there, […]
A qualified personal trainer can help create a workout regimen that meets your body and classroom needs.As a teacher, you already know you need to look outside the studio for regular workouts. If you’ve trained primarily as a dancer, however, establishing a gym routine beyond using aerobic machines can be intimidating. It’s tough to know […]
Last spring, Miami City Ballet corps de ballet dancer Chloe Freytag decided to eat vegan. With a passion for nutrition, she was concerned that toxins and preservatives in certain foods were preventing her from becoming her best dancing self. “Before veganism I was more rundown and I would get tired easily. My body was weak […]